


painted with patience, soft hues blending

by cornerstones



Series: colliding colors [2]
Category: Figure Skating RPF
Genre: Boys In Love, Fluff, Future Fic, M/M, POV Outsider, brian ships it, but doesn't wanna admit it, yuzuvier is the worst kept secret at tcc
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-14
Updated: 2019-08-14
Packaged: 2020-08-20 19:20:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,493
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20233027
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cornerstones/pseuds/cornerstones
Summary: The happy chattering around Javier dies down a bit and they all give him some space again.Brian doesn't even have to wonder just what exactly could have brought that on.With soft strokes Yuzuru skates over to Javier and Brian can't for the life of him read the expression on both their faces.  It's nothing Brian isn't used to by now – and yet he's neverreallygot used to that feeling of somehow intruding whenever they have one of their moments.-----Javi is back at TCC and Briandoesn't want to assume.





	painted with patience, soft hues blending

**Author's Note:**

> i decided that this fandom doesn't have enough outsider pov fics so...this happened
> 
> this is set in the summer after the 19/20 season

Brian prides himself with generally having a good communication with his skaters and his team. He still remembers the relief he felt when the communication between him and Yuzuru got steadily better and better over the years, with him learning more English and Brian learning how to read him as a person.

Of course, there are still bumps and hurdles along the way, but they make it work and Brian genuinely feels like Yuzuru feels safe at TCC and trusts his coaching team. He guesses (or hopes at least) that that's got something to do with how they're operating as a team – it's always been a top priority for Brian to keep up an open and honest conversation with their skaters and that they hope for honesty in turn. That part might not have always played out the way he wished, what with Yuzuru hiding injuries and ailments, but he wants to believe those moments are a thing of the past now.

However, even with all that open communication between them, maybe Brian tends to – not lie but rather – _omit_ some things.

Like a few weeks before PyeongChang when he opened up to Tracy one night while talking about Yuzuru, telling her desperately: “I don't know how we're gonna do it.” He couldn't let Yuzuru know about that, he had already worried about himself so much, he shouldn't have felt like his coaches didn't believe in his recovery or, even worse, in his abilities.

Or like shortly after the Olympics, when Yuzuru's future as a competitive skater was still unclear and Brian thought about suggesting it would be healthier to call it a day. He didn't tell him that, of course, it was his decision after all and all Brian can do is support him and work with what he wants to do.

And then there's this other thing he never wants to confront Yuzuru with: the looks, the hugs, the touches.

How Yuzuru basically solely uses a three turn entry for his quad sal now. How he reflexively smiles whenever he hears someone speak Spanish. How on not so good training days he sometimes stops at the edge of the ice and looks up at the plaques there, making people think he's looking at his own accomplishments as a reminder of who he is, but Brian just knows he's searching for another name there.

It's not like Yuzuru is openly moping ever since Javier retired, or that Brian feels like he has to worry a lot about him because of that. But he's been a coach to both of them for a very long time and he can't deny it's something he's had on his radar for almost as long.

It was after their first Olympic season that he started to prepare himself for the day he had to sit Yuzuru and Javier down in his office and have a serious talk about how they are going to handle their new situation when they're still rink mates.

And then – it just never happened.

They both matured a lot in their years together as athletes and as men and yet nothing ever happened. Not even after or – Brian winces at the thought – _during_ PyeongChang. From what he can gather, they had never had that moment of closure either, otherwise it wouldn't still seem like Yuzuru holds his breath for a heartbeat whenever Javier is mentioned in conversation.

Truth be told, as much as Yuzuru is an enigma, Brian finds him way easier to read in this aspect than Javier – Javier with his bright and open personality, infinite charm and more often than not with a girlfriend by his side. He's never wanted to assume, but given those facts and the way Javier and Yuzuru still always seem to be drawn to one another, he is in fact... confused, for lack of a better word.

And if he is confused, he can only imagine how Yuzuru must feel.

He's always told himself to keep out of this, that he would not get involved. Besides, neither boy has ever even so much as hinted that they want his input and to bring it up to Yuzuru now would only add insult to injury.

At least, that's how it's been for the longest time till Yuzuru asked about the Spanish flag at the club at the beginning of the month right after Javier Raya had announced his retirement.

“Are you going to get rid of flag?” he asked with the same look on his face he puts on whenever he awaits a doctor's assessment of yet another injury.

It was so painfully evident to him then just how much Yuzuru must still miss Javier even after almost two full seasons of getting used to train without him here. Yuzuru has never been shy to speak about Javier lengthy in interviews, and yet hearing him simply say “it's _his_ flag” while looking up at the very same has felt much more personal than anything else he's heard him say about him so far.

In that moment, he couldn't help but put his two cents in and tell him: "You know, if there's one thing I know for certain about Javi, then it's that he's very much rooted in where he comes from. He will always return to his home, and for a long time, the club has been his home, too. And neither of you are the kind of people to ever truly turn away from the people who love you."

The snark he got in turn was foreseeable and he honestly thought that was the first and last of that; whatever happens or doesn't happen, with the latter being more likely, he's not going to witness it.

But then a few days after that incident he got a call from Javier, asking if there was a way for him to spontaneously join their summer camp as a means to get more into coaching. As if Brian would ever say no to that, which is why he finds himself now in his office at TCC and watches Javier enter with a coffee cup in hand and very much on time, just as he thought he would be.

They greet each other with a hug that feels just like the many others they shared in the past; it's nice to know that some things never really change.

“Never thought I'd see the day where you choose coaching here over summer camps in Spain,” Brian jokes.

“Yeah, me too... But where could I better learn how to be a coach than here, right?” Javier smiles.

They don't have that much time to catch up because they should talk about the kids class that's due in a bit but Brian hasn't seen him in so long, he thinks he can take two more minutes.

“How are your plans going for your skating school in Madrid?”

“It's, uhm...” Javier trails off, scratching his clean-shaven cheek as if he's suddenly nervous. “We'll see.”

“'We'll see?'” Brian inquires because that's certainly news to him.

“Yeah, I was maybe thinking about... If this works out here over the summer, maybe I could like, stay on the team for a bit?”

Brian gapes. “You'd want that?”

“Only if you let me, of course. I know you got a lot of skaters next season, so...” After a pause, he adds more quietly, shrugging his shoulders: “Maybe I could find a compromise, you know, to stay both in Madrid and Toronto.”

That's a lot of new information that Brian definitely was not prepared for – but a the end of the day, what can he do except support him. “Whatever you choose, we got your back here, you know that.”

“Thank you,” he says, a sincere expression on his face.

“Okay, come on, let's quickly go through today's schedule...”

The two kids classes pass them by in what feels like the blink of an eye and it feels natural to work with Javier in their team, Brian notes happily. After lunch with Tracy where she's just as surprised to hear about Javier's musings regarding his next career steps, they get ready for the next part of their day – the senior skaters – and Brian remembers with a start what that entails.

Before he can properly prepare himself, they're on the ice again and Javier gets overrun by Jun and Evgenia who are then joined in their group hug by Jason. There are shocked shouts coming from them, telling Brian that Javier apparently didn't warn his former rink mates about coming back and he shakes his head fondly at their excited faces. After Javier steps out of a welcoming hug with Matteo the happy chattering around him dies down a bit and they give him some space again.

Brian doesn't even have to wonder just what exactly could have brought that on.

With soft strokes Yuzuru skates over to Javier and Brian can't for the life of him read the expression on both their faces. Simultaneously, they open their arms and meet each other in a tight embrace, Yuzuru unhurriedly hiding his face in the crook of Javier's neck. It's nothing Brian isn't used to by now – and yet he's never _really_ got used to that feeling of somehow intruding whenever they have one of their moments.

Before long, they loosen their hold on each other and Yuzuru takes a step back, crossing his arms and looking Javier up and down.

“So, you're a coach now?”

“I'm trying,” comes the light response.

Yuzuru nods, as if giving his approval. “You look like very serious coach.”

“Mhm,“ Javier hums with a smile. With mock earnestness, he says: “I am a serious coach.”

Yuzuru lets out a long hum, almost nonchalantly. Then, with a glint in his eyes, he cocks his head to the side. “You coach me too?”

“I don't know, that depends.” He takes the raised eyebrow thrown in his direction as his cue to elaborate. “Are you gonna listen to me?”

“I always listen to you.” Yuzuru sounds a bit affronted at the question, though Brian thinks it's a valid point. The scoff Javier sports at that remark tells him he thinks along the same lines.

A smirk tugs at one corner of Yuzuru's mouth. “I just don't do what you say when I know better.”

Javier throws him a challenging look that says _oh so it's like that?_ at which Yuzuru only scrunches up his nose, smiling teasingly.

A small part of Brian really wants to slam his head against one of the wooden pillars because he's pretty sure that, underneath the familiar teasing, what he's witnessing right now is flirting.

“Alright,” he finds himself exclaiming loudly. “Warmup now, we can all catch up later!”

There are some disappointed protests coming from the skaters but after a moment they scatter to get ready for their session. He catches Yuzuru throwing a small smile Javier's way before skating away; even more so he catches Javier's eyes glued to his retreating form, and it makes Brian wonder.

Only for a moment though, because he reminds himself that he shouldn't assume.

The first days go by quickly as they're establishing a routine and Brian is relieved that they all seem to fall into it easily. There's just something about Javier's presence at the rink, that makes the whole atmosphere more relaxed, in a way. It's not like there was a particular tension before but all the same, having him here just feels _right_, and Brian suspects he's not the only one feeling that way.

He can see it in the way his former fellow rink mates come up to Javier to ask for his advice or opinion and how much they respect him here. It's a role that suits him, Brian thinks as he's watching them work together.

But what does make him pause is that despite all the teasing when he first arrived, he and Yuzuru have kept their distance, unexpectedly. They are still friendly with each other and exchange some words here and there, but neither of them really approaches the other during training sessions.

But they both seem to be fine so far and Brian knows it's not his place to ask or – god beware – meddle, so he tries not to think about it too much – that is until Yuzuru has a bad day.

It happens every once in a while, but today he hasn't seemed to be in the best headspace to start with and by now Brian knows that the frustrations with his own training will only accumulate until he completely shuts off.

It's painful to watch and also mildly dangerous to interfere and Brian wants to wait until he has cooled down a bit. He watches him skate slowly along the edge of the rink, hands on his hips, and wants to wait him out to find a moment to approach him but then he sees Javier skating up to him.

He stops Yuzuru by gripping his arms and says something that Brian cannot hear over the distance but he can still read the tension in Yuzuru's shoulders. When Javier stops speaking, they're not moving away from each other but stay where they are with their gazes locked and for a second he fears Yuzuru's just going to keep glaring before shrugging him off after all.

But then he hangs his head in a slight nod, his shoulders easing up. Javier smiles at him and strokes his arms before letting go and skating around him. He gives him a little push from behind, signaling him to move and then they start doing some old, well-practiced stroking exercises.

As Brian watches Javier following Yuzuru's movements he suddenly feels taken back to one of the practice sessions in PyeongChang where they did the same thing and a wave of nostalgia hits him.

It's one of the most amazing things to come out of this club, he thinks: this unexpected but nevertheless essential camaraderie between the two of them. He watches as the negative energy seems to slowly drain out of Yuzuru's body and Brian believes he doesn't have to worry about them.

One day, Brian is watching Jason doing the second run-through of his short that day, when he notices Javier and Matteo coming to a halt a few steps away from him while the latter takes a short break to catch his breath and talk about some troubles he had with one of his combination spins.

Apparently that topic is quickly dealt with since all of a sudden he can hear Matteo ask curiously: “So, are you really staying here after the summer?”

Brian smiles to himself at the interaction; Javier has been Matteo's idol for seemingly forever and there's still an undercurrent of excitement in his tone whenever he catches them talking, almost like Matteo can never quite believe that he can have conversations like that with him.

Javier huffs out a laugh: “Well, that depends... but I hope so, you know.”

“And your girlfriend doesn't mind? Or will she come here as well?”

“Actually...” He pauses. “Actually, there is no girlfriend.”

Brian is not proud to admit he almost whips his head around at that revelation.

“Oh! I'm sorry, I didn't –“

“It's okay, we broke up weeks ago, don't worry.” He can't see it but he's almost sure Javier's smiling right now in that easy way that he has that doesn't let you know what the hell is going on behind that smile.

“But don't think asking me about my private life gets you out of training. Come on, back to the ice,” he says in a joking manner and Matteo does as he's told, laughing.

As Brian makes to skate over to Jason as soon as he's finished his program, he reminds himself that he shouldn't assume. Just because Javier came back to Toronto, hoping of staying indefinitely and being very much single doesn't mean there's reason to assume.

_Don't assume_ becomes a mantra that Brian already has to tell himself repeatedly the very next day.

He just left the last skaters on the ice by themselves to cool down and went to put some files away when he hears a loud whining sound that swiftly morphs into a burst of high laughter. Frowning, he turns to look out the window to see what's going on.

On one end of the rink are Jason, Boyang and Matteo giggling amongst themselves at what's happening at the center of the ice: Javier holds a squirming but laughing Yuzuru by the hands and makes them spin around their own axis.

Still non the wiser, Brian comes out and walks over to Tracy who's standing close to the edge of the ice.

“Do you have any idea what's going on there?” he asks.

“Right now on the ice or do you mean generally?” she asks back, her lips quirked up in a knowing smile.

“Don't assume.” He's not so much telling her as reminding himself.

A still giggling Jason catches sight of them and skates closer. “Don't worry, Javi's not trying to murder him.”

“Good to know.” He hears Tracy chuckle beside him. “Mind telling me what's happening?”

“I'm not really sure, actually...” He looks back towards Yuzuru and Javier, both of them openly laughing now. “I think Yuzu sassed him for his spins or something? And then Javi threatened to try out a death spiral with him and, well...”

With a chuckle he gestures to where they have now come to a standstill, a playful argument going on between them; their hands are still clasped together.

“Okay, boys,” Brian shouts over to them. Startled, they turn around as if they have forgotten they have an audience. “Save the pair skating elements for another day.”

When they finally let go of each other, Javier says something that makes Yuzuru break out in another laughing fit and Brian can't help the fond smile growing on his face. It's been a while since they heard Yuzuru laugh that loudly and that carefree here.

“Awww, they're really cute,” Jason coos, but he sounds suspiciously genuine.

“Jason,” he says in a slightly warning tone. “Don't assume.”

Jason just smiles at him brightly and does some mildly flailing hand gestures before going back for another lap around the rink.

When Brian turns back to Tracy she gives him a meaningful look, but he stands by what he's told himself for ages now – it's not his business.

It's in the third week with Javier here that he's late for the first time. That in itself is not a problem because the skaters don't need supervision for their warmup and it's not like Javier makes a habit out of it (not counting his days as a competitive skater, that is).

The problem is Yuzuru is late as well, and he's never late.

Which doesn't have to mean anything, of course.

He turns to Tracy. “Have you heard from Javi?”

“Nope. Probably just runs a little late.” She makes a pensive noise. “And so does Yuzu, apparently.”

“That's coincidence, right?” he asks with his arms crossed and he wants to sound casual.

“Yeah, probably. Can't think of any correlation there,” she says in a completely serious voice.

“Tracy,” he pauses, exhaling heavily. “We have to think about a lot of stuff concerning our skaters. _This_ is not something I want to be thinking about.”

He can tell she's suppressing a chuckle and it gives the moment some levity.

Just as he's about to relax a bit, the doors are pushed open and in come Javier and Yuzuru, both of them apologizing at once as soon as Brian and Tracy face them. Nothing about them seems amiss, there's no visible evidence on them that could so much as hint at the reason why they're both late, besides the fact that they entered the club together.

And yet Brian finds himself exchanging a glance with Tracy and underneath her carefully neutral expression he can see fond amusement sparkling in her eyes. He clears his throat and turns his attention to Yuzuru and Javier once more.

“Yuzu, Javi – before practice, could you just come meet me in my office for a second?”

They look at him with equally confused faces before they're both agreeing and he lets them go ahead.

To be honest, he wonders a little bit if he's overreacting, after all he's told himself to not assume and just because they both arrived at the same time doesn't mean –

He catches sight of Javier's hand on Yuzuru's lower back as they're walking. He watches how it stays there firmly, how Yuzuru seems to almost lean back into it, how it appears to be such a natural, comfortable thing between them.

Eyebrows raised, he looks back at Tracy, who only smiles in reaction. With a sigh, he makes to follow them into the office. He has been prepared for this situation for a long time, after all.

**Author's Note:**

> i know this is just a silly little fic but i hope you enjoyed it!
> 
> thank you for reading!
> 
> <3


End file.
